Arsenal sign Debuchy from Newcastle

Arsenal have signed France right back Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee, the London club said on Thursday.

The 28-year-old has been recruited as a ready-made replacement for Bacary Sagna, who quit Arsenal for Manchester City on a free transfer at the end of last season.

Debuchy, who has recently returned from the World Cup where he was part of the France squad that reached the quarter-finals, is thought to have cost around 12 million pounds ($20.52 million), according to British media reports.

“We are delighted to welcome Mathieu Debuchy to Arsenal Football Club. He has shown he can perform at the highest level with his club sides and also for France,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on the club website (www.arsenal.com).

“He is a quality defender who has good Premier League experience and I’m confident he will fit in very well with us.”

Arsenal were in the market for a right back after Sagna walked out on the club having let his contract run down.

Debuchy, who spent 18 months at Newcastle after joining from French club Lille, is Arsenal’s second close-season acquisition following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona.

“I’m very proud to be joining a great club like Arsenal and to wear its colours, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the whole world,” Debuchy said.

“I’m looking forward to working with Arsene Wenger and to helping the team build on last season’s FA Cup success. Playing again in the Champions League is a big excitement for me and I will do my best to help Arsenal compete for trophies.”

Newcastle have moved swiftly to replace Debuchy by signing 24-year-old Netherlands right back Daryl Janmaat, who joined on Thursday for an undisclosed fee from Feyenoord.